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Maple Leafs Place Jake McCabe On IR, Recall Marshall Rifai

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Jake McCabe’s fight with Philadelphia Flyers’ Garnet Hathaway from Sunday night will have some lasting effects. McCabe won’t be in the lineup for the rematch tomorrow night as the Toronto Maple Leafs announced they’ve placed him on injured reserve and recalled defenseman Marshall Rifai in his stead.

The fight between McCabe and Hathaway ended with a scary sequence. As the pair were falling to the ice as the fight ended, Hathaway landed on McCabe’s head causing the injury. Toronto hasn’t offered an official diagnosis for McCabe’s injury but he did not return to game action.

It’ll be a sizeable loss for the Maple Leafs should McCabe miss significant time. He’s been a more than effective blue liner for Toronto since the organization acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2022-23 NHL season.

He has consistently averaged over 20 minutes per game in Toronto and was one of the team’s most physically imposing defensemen before they signed Chris Tanev this past summer. McCabe arguably had the best season of his career last year scoring eight goals and 28 points in 73 games while finishing second on the team with 219 hits.

The transaction is the second call-up this week for Rifai. He was originally recalled on New Year’s Eve to take the roster spot of the then-injured Auston Matthews and will now take the place of McCabe on the active roster.

He’ll likely become the team’s seventh defenseman giving the recently-extended Philippe Myers more time in the lineup. Despite the two call-ups, Rifai has only played for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies this year, recording two goals and four points in 26 contests.

Al MacNeil Passes Away At Age 89

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A legendary member of the Calgary Flames organization, Al MacNeil, has passed away at the age of 89 as announced by the Flames.

Before starting his coaching and executive career in the National Hockey League, MacNeil spent 11 years as a player. He suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins from 1955 to 1968 recording 17 goals and 92 points in 524 games with another four assists in 37 postseason contests.

After a brief hiatus in the CHL and AHL, MacNeil was named assistant coach for the Canadiens ahead of the 1970-71 season. After starting the season with an 11-8-4 record through 23 games, then-head coach Claude Ruel resigned leaving the keys to MacNeil for the remainder of the season.

Montreal rebounded immensely under MacNeil’s stewardship, finishing the regular season on a 31-15-9 tear with a +58 goal differential. After knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, the Canadiens defeated the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Blackhawks to win the organization’s 15th Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Despite coaching the team to a Stanley Cup championship, Montreal hired fifth-year head coach Scotty Bowman after leading the St. Louis Blues to three out of the last four Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens had no intentions of MacNeil leaving the organization, naming him head coach of the AHL’s Nova Scotia Voyageurs. He enjoyed success with the Voyageurs, winning three Calder Cup championships in six seasons behind the bench.

After finishing as Director of Player Personnel for the Canadiens in the 1978-79 season, MacNeil became the head coach of the NHL’s Atlanta Flames for the 1979-80 season. He would spend the next two decades with the Flames organization.

MacNeil became the last head coach for the Atlanta Flames while being the first head coach for the Calgary Flames. He finished with a record of 105-93-44 in 240 games but failed to coach the Flames beyond the Conference Finals.

He was promoted to Calgary’s front office after the 1981-82 campaign and became the team’s assistant general manager in 1985. Despite a brief 11-game return as the Flames’ head coach in 2002-03, MacNeil held the role of the assistant general manager until his retirement after the 2005-06 season. MacNeil won the fourth Stanley Cup ring of his career when Calgary dispatched his former employer, the Canadiens, in the 1989 Stanley Cup Final.

Although many will think of franchise icons such as Jarome Iginla, Theo Fleury, Al MacInnis, or Lanny McDonald when pondering the Flames’ success since moving to Alberta, MacNeil remains one of the most historical figures in franchise history. PHR extends our condolences to Al’s friends, family, and the organizations he’s been a part of for the last 70 years.

New York Rangers Reassign Matt Rempe

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A corresponding transaction was necessary for the New York Rangers after claiming Arthur Kaliyev off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings earlier today. The Rangers have reassigned forward Matt Rempe to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, to bring their active roster back down to the 23-man limit.

The young enforcer is seven games into an eight-game suspension and will need to miss one more should be recalled to the active roster at any point for the remaining season. Rempe has failed to find the scoresheet in five games for the Rangers this season but has accrued 24 PIMs overall.

Because his only role is becoming increasingly rarer in professional hockey, Rempe has failed to accrue much playing time throughout his brief NHL career. Since debuting with the Rangers last year, Rempe has scored one goal and one assist in 22 games averaging 5:46 of ice time per game.

He returns to a Wolf Pack lineup where he’s largely been tasked with the same role but has had more offensive production to lean on. Since joining Hartford for the 2022-23 AHL season, Rempe has scored 17 goals and 27 points in 114 contests but has also racked up an eye-popping 205 career PIMs.

The Wolf Pack are currently clinging to a playoff spot with a 15-14-2-1 record through the first 40 games and sit seventh in the league with 454 PIMs. Despite still facing a suspension in the NHL, Rempe is eligible to suit up in Hartford’s next game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday.

Kings Recall Samuel Helenius, Remove Kyle Burroughs From Non-Roster

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The Los Angeles Kings are adding some depth to their lineup before their upcoming five-game road trip starting on January 10th. The organization announced they’ve recalled forward Samuel Helenius from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, and removed defenseman Kyle Burroughs from the non-roster designation.

As a waiver-exempt player, Helenius has been frequently called up and utilized by the Kings this season. While he has not been a significant contributor in terms of offensive production—recording 13 goals and 37 points in 150 AHL games—he makes up for his lack of scoring with his physical style of play.

Despite being 12th amongst forwards in games played and last in average time on ice, Helenius is second on the Kings in hits with 70. Los Angeles has been one of the more rugged and physical teams for more than a decade and Helenius is helping preserve that image.

Burroughs returns to the active roster after missing the last few days due to the birth of his child. He’s in the second year of a three-year, $3.3MM contract originally signed with the San Jose Sharks before being traded to the Kings last summer.

He’s suited up in 20 games for Los Angeles this year as a depth defenseman and has tallied two assists overall. Unfortunately, as the team’s eighth defenseman on the active roster, Burroughs’ days in the NHL are likely numbered with Drew Doughty nearing a return.

Alex Chiasson Announces Retirement

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A long-time middle-six scorer is officially hanging up his skates. Originally announced by himself and then shared by the National Hockey League Players’ Association, Alex Chiasson is retiring after spending a few years off the ice.

The Dallas Stars drafted Chiasson with the 38th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft out of the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers program. Instead of immediately turning professional, Chiasson joined the Boston University Terriers for the 2009-10 NCAA season one year after they won the National Championship. Unfortunately, Chiasson would fail to reach the Frozen Four throughout his three-year tenure with Boston University.

He still became an effective playmaker at the collegiate level. He finished his NCAA career with 36 goals and 99 points in 108 games before signing his entry-level contract after the 2011-12 campaign. Chiasson started quickly with the AHL’s Texas Stars, scoring one goal and five points in nine contests.

Much of the next calendar year was spent in AHL Texas until Dallas recalled Chiasson in early April of the 2012-13 season to debut in the NHL. After scoring six goals and seven points in seven games to end the regular season, Chiasson became an NHL regular for the next decade.

Chiasson scored 13 goals and 35 points in 79 games during his official rookie season, which would be his last with the Stars. The following summer, he was acquired by the Ottawa Senators organization as a part of the return package for franchise icon Jason Spezza.

Although he became one of the better players from the trade for Spezza, his time in Canada’s capital was mostly disappointing. He finished his tenure in Ottawa with 19 goals and 40 points in 153 games before arduous contract negotiations led to a trade to the Calgary Flames in the summer of 2016.

After a solid year as a depth scorer for the Flames, Chiasson signed with the Washington Capitals for the 2017-18 season. He won his first and only Stanley Cup that year, scoring one goal and one assist in 16 playoff games for the Capitals.

It wasn’t until he joined the Edmonton Oilers that Chiasson experienced the most personal success of his career. During his time with the Oilers, Chiasson scored 42 goals and 78 points in 183 games, including a 22-goal campaign in the 2018-19 season.

Chiasson’s final game came on April 13, 2023, as a member of the Detroit Red Wings one year after spending the season with the Vancouver Canucks. He ended his career with 120 goals and 233 points in 651 games with another four goals and seven points in 37 postseason contests.

All of us at PHR extend our best wishes to Alex as he enters the next chapter of his life.

New York Rangers Claim Arthur Kaliyev Off Waivers

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Jan. 6: Kaliyev’s time in the Kings organization has officially ended. TSN’s Bruce Garrioch was the first to report that the New York Rangers have claimed Kaliyev off the waiver wire. The Rangers will add Kaliyev’s entire $825K salary leaving them just under $8MM in room. He’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer.

Jan. 5: The Los Angeles Kings have placed winger Arthur Kaliyev on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Kaliyev sustained a fractured clavicle in the pre-season, and wasn’t activated from season-opening injured reserve until December 28th. He was assigned to the AHL for a conditioning stint on December 10th, and scored two points in five games with the Ontario Reign. But being activated off of IR returns Kaliyev to waiver eligibility, and the Kings will now attempt to pass his through waivers to return him to the minor leagues.

Kaliyev played in his first minor league games since 2020-21 on his conditioning stint. He’s spent the years since fighting, and struggling, to earn a consistent role in the Kings’ lineup, under a very bright spotlight. Kaliyev has stood as one of Los Angeles’ top prospects since 2019, when the Kings drafted him with the first pick of the second round. He played through his rookie NHL season in 2021-22, scoring 14 goals and 27 points. Kaliyev began to improve on those numbers in year-two, but suffered an undisclosed injury in December that forced him out through mid-February, limiting him to just 56 games. Kaliyev managed 13 goals and 28 points, impressively rivaling his rookie scoring despite the injuries. But he couldn’t continue that improvement into last season, netting just 15 points in 51 games and falling into routine healthy scratches.

Even with minute intentions, this move stands as a major wedge in Kaliyev’s drive to earn an NHL role. He’s totaled 35 goals and 71 points in 188 career games, but never seemed to find a fit in the lineup, no matter how often the Kings changed up his role. He could be an interesting, high upside bet on the waiver wire – offering teams the chance to land an impactful middle-six scorer for no cost. Kaliyev is set to be a restricted free-agent with arbitration status this summer, and carries an affordable $825K cap hit.

Predators Recall Kevin Gravel

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The Predators have recalled veteran defenseman Kevin Gravel for the second time in as many months, the team announced Monday. Jeremy Lauzon, who’s missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, has landed on injured reserve in a corresponding transaction. The move was previously reflected in yesterday’s AHL transactions log but wasn’t made official by the team until today.

Recalling Gravel gives Nashville an extra defender on hand for tomorrow’s game against the Jets. They’re down two right now with Lauzon and Adam Wilsby (upper body, day-to-day) both on injured reserve.

In fact, Gravel projects to be the only extra healthy skater available for Nashville on Tuesday. The Preds are also carrying just 12 healthy forwards with Zachary L’Heureux serving the final game of his suspension for slew-footing Wild captain Jared Spurgeon and Thomas Novak dealing with an upper-body injury despite remaining on the active roster.

Gravel appeared in three games for Nashville last month while injuries plagued Lauzon, Alexandre Carrier and Roman Josi. The 32-year-old recorded an assist and a +2 rating while averaging 18:19 per contest, the highest usage of his seven-year, 135-game NHL career.

It was Gravel’s first NHL appearance since skating in 23 games with the Preds in the 2022-23 season. The Michigan native has spent the last three years in the organization, primarily playing for the Milwaukee Admirals, their AHL affiliate. He’s made 25 AHL appearances this year, posting five points and a -4 rating. He served as the club’s captain last season.

He’ll remain in Nashville/Milwaukee for at least one more season after he inked a two-year extension midway through the 2023-24 campaign. The 6’4″ lefty was a fifth-round pick of the Kings back in 2010 and has also logged games for the Oilers and Maple Leafs in addition to his time in Hollywood and Nashville.

Lauzon last played on Dec. 31 against Minnesota. He’ll sit out tomorrow’s contest but is eligible to return on Saturday against the Capitals if his health allows. He also missed 10 games with a lower-body issue in November and December, but has one assist and 127 hits in 28 appearances this season when healthy.

Gary Bettman Meets With Group Regarding Arizona Expansion Franchise

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently met with a newly formed committee of Maricopa County “political and business leaders” interested in pursuing an expansion franchise to bring the league back to the Arizona market, former Coyotes beat writer Craig Morgan reports.

The now-deactivated Coyotes franchise’s hopes of a revival, at least under former majority owner Alex Meruelo, ended in June when the Arizona State Land Department canceled an auction Meruelo intended to use to purchase a plot for a new arena and entertainment district because the organization failed to obtain the proper zoning permits. Shortly after, Meruelo informed Coyotes staff that he was relinquishing ownership of the franchise and officially returned the team’s branding and intellectual property to the league a few weeks later.

The situation ended a years-long saga in which multiple owners, Meruelo in particular, failed to stabilize the fledgling club on and off the ice. In the 2022 offseason, the team was effectively kicked out of its longtime, inconveniently located home in Glendale, forcing it to strike a deal with Arizona State University to share its new multipurpose Mullett Arena, which held fewer than 5,000 people for hockey. 

After two years in the temporary facility and no firm plan for a permanent home in sight, Meruelo struck a multi-part deal with the league to sell the franchise to Salt Lake City-based Smith Entertainment Group, birthing the Utah Hockey Club out of the Coyotes’ former hockey operations assets. Meruelo could reactivate the Coyotes franchise and trigger an expansion draft if specific timelines were met on a new arena. However, after the auction was canceled, that was no longer plausible.

So, while the potential of the Coyotes’ name and logo resurfacing in the coming years persists, it will be with a blank slate roster-wise and ownership-wise in a new arena. Maricopa County Board of Supervisors chairman Tom Galvin, who’s at the head of the advisory committee, told Morgan that he’s “had several meetings with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and he looks forward to working with us to identify an owner and the best location for a world-class building.”

There’s still much work to be done before Arizona can once again be seriously considered as an expansion destination, though. Not only does the advisory committee need to develop a pathway toward building a new NHL-caliber facility, but they also need to identify a stable ownership group willing to take on the project. That could come from NBA Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who told Barry M. Bloom of Sportico in July that he’s interested in acquiring an expansion franchise and has long-term plans to build a new arena in downtown Phoenix.

Senators Recall Jan Jeník, Nikolas Matinpalo

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The Senators summoned forward Jan Jeník and defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo from AHL Belleville on Monday, per a team announcement. Ottawa only has one open roster spot, so a corresponding move must have been made – likely placing defenseman Travis Hamonic on injured reserve, per PuckPedia.

Jeník’s recall is his first of the season and his first as a Senator. Ottawa acquired his signing rights from the Utah Hockey Club on July 3 for depth winger Egor Sokolov.

Two days later, Jeník put pen to paper on a one-year, two-way contract that pays him $775K in the NHL and $190K in the AHL. He did not make the Senators’ roster out of training camp and cleared waivers on his way to Belleville, where he’s sat injured for most of the season.

The 24-year-old has been healthy for 13 games, posting four goals and three assists for seven points and a +4 rating while quickly racking up 38 PIMs. The 6’1″, 198-lb forward has always been a bit of a pot-stirrer, consistently recording PIM totals north of 50 across full junior and AHL seasons.

Jeník has 22 NHL games under his belt, all coming with the Coyotes in each of the last four seasons. The 2018 third-round pick has four goals and two assists for six points with a -4 rating, posting 27 shots on goal while averaging just south of 10 minutes per game.

The Czech winger/center has consistently been out-chanced at 5-on-5, only controlling 45.5% of shot attempts. That’s partly due to Arizona’s conservative defensive-zone deployment of Jeník during his time in the desert, though. He was a much more significant offensive factor in the minors, where he now has 127 points in 178 career AHL games.

Jeník gives Ottawa an extra forward option for tomorrow’s key matchup against the Red Wings. For now, it’s unclear if he’ll draw into the lineup.

However, Matinpalo almost certainly will. The oft-recalled defender projects to play a third-pairing role on his natural right side alongside Tyler Kleven with Hamonic out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Jacob Bernard-Docker also sustained an injury in Monday’s practice and looks to sit out tomorrow, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.

Matinpalo, 26, has only managed one appearance for the Sens this season amid a few moves up and down the NHL-AHL wire. He took a minor penalty and skated 10:24 against the Wild on Dec. 29. Outside of that, the defensive-minded Finn has eight points and a -4 rating in 24 games for the B-Sens.

Panthers Recall Tobias Björnfot

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The Panthers announced Monday that they’ve recalled defenseman Tobias Björnfot from AHL Charlotte. Florida had an open spot on the active roster, so no corresponding transaction is necessary.

It’s the first time Björnfot has been recalled since clearing waivers during training camp. The Panthers claimed the 23-year-old off waivers from the Golden Knights at last season’s trade deadline, but he has only logged one NHL game since then, skating 17:01 against the Rangers on March 23, 2024, and serving as a healthy scratch for the entirety of Florida’s run to the 2024 Stanley Cup.

A first-round pick of the Kings in 2019, Björnfot has spent much of his time as a fringe roster player and has never secured anything above a third-pairing role. The Swedish native has been passable in Charlotte this season but not overly impressive, recording a pair of goals and nine assists for 11 points in 27 games with a -1 rating.

Björnfot has one NHL goal across 120 appearances since debuting in the 2019-20 campaign, adding 14 assists for 15 points with a -20 rating. Only four of those appearances came last season, a tumultuous one where he was claimed off waivers by the Golden Knights from L.A. before landing on the wire again and heading to the Cats.

Drafted as a stay-at-home piece, Björnfot has 42 points with a +7 rating in 136 career AHL games, where he’s spent most of the last three seasons. His last campaign as a full-time NHLer came in L.A. in 2021-22, when he dressed in a career-high 70 games and posted eight assists with a -12 rating while averaging 16:46 per game.

Björnfot will likely sit in the press box but comes up as injury insurance with Niko Mikkola, who’s missed the last four games with an upper-body injury, still projected to be unavailable tonight against the Avalanche. He could make his season debut if Aaron Ekblad, who didn’t practice over the weekend, can’t go due to an undisclosed injury.

Björnfot can remain on Florida’s roster for up to 30 days or play 10 games until he needs waivers to return to Charlotte.

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